Schooling the young horse

05/16/2026

Heres Peaches first day saddled

05/16/2026

This is Sumo 2 yo first day wearing saddle

05/11/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18URgca14z/ Thank you Kathy

03/12/2026

Bitless bridles come in many styles. Many have More pressure points on the head than a bitted bridle. The bosal is the oldest and best design for clarity and uses the least amount of pressure points nose bridge and poll. Many Horses prefer bits it gives them something in their mouth to soothe or pacify their mind. I had a very well trained mare at a riding school they wanted her bitless. In canter she bolted and would not stop from rein pressure . Since she was fully trained I was able to neck rein her into a spiral to slow down ease and calm her. Some horses dont like all the pressure points on the bitless bridles . The cues dont feel the same. I dont hate bitless but you need to overcome our biases and just Listen to the Horse ! Some prefer it Some dont !

12/03/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A6g1eSCA9/

There is a prophecy by Edgar Cayce about horses that the world has ignored for nearly a century. He said a time would come when humanity, lost in its machine...

11/19/2025

Ptsd in horses is something you work around . It cant be dismissed or cured . You can work around it creating Safe places and memories . Find the triggers and avoid them. Be ceeative. Find new methods your hirse can accept. I remember Blaze . Wgen I furst began to mount him I chose to do so in his safe stall. Then I sat and asked him nothing. I would meditate on him. This helped him develop calmness and acceptance. I would send him mental pictures of us moving together as one in the arena. Within 3 weeks thats what happened. He felt safe.

Horses form long-lasting fear memories (with science to back it up)

One of the most misunderstood aspects of horse behavior is how strongly and permanently they retain fear-based experiences.
This isn’t a training myth — it’s a documented neurological reality.

Below is a clear explanation followed by references to actual studies and published research.

🧠 Horses have a highly reactive amygdala (fear center)

Horses evolved as prey animals, so their brains prioritize rapid detection of danger over logical reasoning.
The amygdala — the part of the brain that stores fear memories — is extremely active in horses.

Because of this:

A single frightening event can create a lifelong trigger

Horses learn fear much faster than they learn relaxation

Fear memories are more easily reactivated than “positive” memories

Horses remember where something happened, the smell, the sound, the surroundings

This makes horses incredible survivors, but sometimes difficult for humans to understand.

📌 Scientific Evidence & References

1️⃣ “One-Trial Learning” — McDonnell (University of Pennsylvania)

Dr. Sue McDonnell, the world-renowned equine behaviorist at UPenn, has documented that horses often learn fear responses in one single negative experience, known as one-trial learning.

📚 Reference:
McDonnell, S. (2003). The Equid Ethogram: A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behavior.

This means a single bad trailer-loading, a fall, a harsh reprimand, or a frightening vet procedure can create a long-lasting avoidance pattern.

2️⃣ Fear memories are stored in the amygdala and are “resistant to extinction.”

Alexandra Warren-Smith, PhD, and Paul McGreevy (University of Sydney) have published extensive research showing that fear conditioning in horses is extremely persistent and that the amygdala-driven memories are not easily overwritten.

📚 Reference:
McGreevy, P., & McLean, A. (2010). Equitation Science. Wiley-Blackwell.
Warren-Smith, A., & McGreevy, P. (2008). Journal of Veterinary Behavior.

Their research shows:

Horses remember fear faster and longer than positive reinforcement

Fear conditioning is “robust” and “highly resistant” to extinction

Negative experiences are stored with environmental context (location, handler, objects, sounds)

3️⃣ Horses retain fear memories for YEARS

A French study at the University of Rennes found that horses remember negative experiences in specific locations for at least 22 months with NO retraining in between.

📚 Reference:
Fureix, C., Pagès, M., et al. (2009). “Investigation of the long-term memory of fear in horses.” Animal Cognition.

Key findings:

Horses showed fear responses when returning to the same location

Even if nothing frightening happened again

Their heart rate increased before they reached the exact spot

This demonstrates durable, long-term fear memory encoding.

4️⃣ Horses remember human mistakes and handling errors

Dr. Carol Hall (Nottingham Trent University) has shown that horses associate specific handlers with:

stress

fear

restraint

harsh treatment

even months later.

📚 Reference:
Hall, C., Goodwin, D., et al. (2008). “Horse–human relationships: The effect of human emotional state and handling errors.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

This supports what trainers know:
Horses don’t forget how humans make them feel.

5️⃣ Horses store sensory-linked fear memories

A study in Physiology & Behavior found that horses remember fear not only visually but also through:

smell

sound

touch

📚 Reference:
Munkes, M. et al. (2018). “Sensory processing in horses.” Physiology & Behavior.

This explains why a horse who had a traumatic trailer event may panic simply at:

the clank of a trailer hitch

the smell of diesel

the sound of a ramp dropping

⭐ Why this matters for the public

People often think:

“He’s being stubborn.”

“She’s testing me.”

“He’s just being dramatic.”

“She should get over it by now.”

But science shows:

➡️ Horses are not misbehaving — they’re remembering.
➡️ Fear memories are a survival mechanism, not defiance.
➡️ Punishing fear only strengthens the fear.
➡️ Trust takes time; fear happens instantly.

This is why patient, low-stress, consistent handling is not just “nice” — it’s biologically necessary.

10/31/2025

Havent posted in quite a while busy teaching riding and cart driving lessons. I am happy to read here about this. Many horses, Less is More

𝐀 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞

British Riding Clubs have taken a big, brave step this week one that quietly puts welfare right back where it belongs, at the centre of everything we do with horses.

From now on, riders at BRC competitions will be allowed to use vocal aids (their voice) during tests, so long as it’s quiet and discreet. And just as importantly, nosebands are no longer compulsory. You can ride in a bridle without one if your horse prefers it.

It might sound like a small rule tweak, but actually, it’s a major cultural shift. For decades, competitive riding has been wrapped up in convention, polished tack, tight straps, silent riders and anything that didn’t fit that mould was frowned upon. This new rule recognises what good horse people have known all along: that a relaxed jaw, a soft mouth and calm, clear communication matter far more than appearances.

Research has shown for years that over tightened nosebands can cause pain, restrict jaw movement, and mask tension. Some horses simply go better without one, yet many riders felt forced to use them because the rule book said so. Allowing riders to make that choice is an enormous welfare win. It recognises that every horse is different, and that comfort should come before conformity.

Allowing voice aids follows the same logic. Horses understand tone, rhythm and calm reassurance. A soft “steady” or “and… walk” can do far more to guide and relax a horse than any amount of rein pressure. It’s not about talking constantly, it’s about communicating clearly the same way we do on the ground.

This change also puts BRC ahead of the curve internationally. Sweden made nosebands optional in 2025, Denmark followed soon after, and many European countries are now openly questioning their necessity. Yet, British Dressage, our own governing body for national dressage is still lagging behind. Instead of removing the requirement altogether, BD is focusing on measuring tightness with gauges, due to come in over the next year. It’s a step forward, yes, but it still clings to the idea that we must have a strap around the horse’s nose in the first place.

The truth is, BRC have done what BD has hesitated to do trust riders to make the right welfare choices without being dictated by tradition. It’s refreshing, forward thinking, and very much in line with the broader welfare movement we’re seeing across Europe.

Of course, it’s not without challenges. Taking the noseband off won’t fix heavy hands, bad riding or poor saddle fit. And using the voice isn’t a shortcut for feel or timing, it takes skill to make it an aid, not a distraction. This is where coaches and clubs will have to step up. Riders need education, not just freedom, to use these tools fairly and effectively.

But overall, this is the right kind of change. It shows that BRC trusts its members to ride with empathy and awareness. It moves away from the old, rigid picture of dressage and back towards true horsemanship where the horse’s comfort and confidence come first.

British Dressage might want to take note. The grassroots are speaking, and they’re saying welfare matters more than formality. Tight straps and silent mouths don’t make good riding harmony does.

Hopefully Ireland won’t be far behind. We pride ourselves on being a nation that understands horses But we’re still a little slow to adapt when it comes to formal welfare driven rule changes.

𝐁𝐑𝐂 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡!
🙌🏻❤️

Photo Credit: Julia Clarke ( long time follower)